Chains
by WinterVines
Summary: His prison of isolation could only be opened with pink silk and ringing laughter. The snake man made it so. AU. One-shot. SasuSaku


Disclaimer: Oh yes, a new fandom might mean new readers. I am a poor college student. There is no question as to whether I am the owner of these characters.

Any obvious OOCness is purely intentional. This is AU.

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Chains

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He wasn't sure when everything had changed for him. It seemed so long ago that he first came here, but the fact remained that somewhere down the line things had changed. It amazed him somewhat to find how he could be so fixed on one thing, but now he was wholly concentrated on another.

He stared up at the ceiling from his cool sheets, the room dark even though it was the middle of the day. The blinds were closed as usual, but even if they were open, this part of town didn't let much light in anyway.

It was almost sad to see what he was reduced to. It was sad that he, Sasuke Uchiha, was now a slave to glimpses and hopes of his possible future, eagerly snatching up any scraps the snake threw him. He knew this, but it didn't stop him from following it.

There was a knock at the door, but he didn't bother to get up. He knew who it was. Even if he didn't answer it, he knew the man behind it would just come in anyway.

As expected, the door opened with a creak. It was old, as was everything in the outskirts of town. He barely paid the snake man any attention. That changed however, when he heard the tell-tale crinkle of paper. He gazed at the snake man, and became suddenly attentive as he caught a glimpse of pink on the page before the man folded the paper away.

He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. The man smiled as he entered, but it was not kind. Sasuke couldn't care less, he wanted that paper.

His eyes were eager as the man approached and held the paper out, what he found to be a photo. He made a grab at it, only to growl slightly as the man pulled it away. "Now, now, Sasuke-kun, no need to get testy. You've been so good lately." Nevertheless, the picture was held out again, and he didn't need to be told twice.

She was beautiful, but he already knew that, had known that for a while. Her pink hair shone in the sunlight, and he loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He loved her smile. He loved her, period.

"She's been busy without you, Sasuke-kun. She was just at the opening of the new library on Main that I told you about."

The snake man went on, but Sasuke wasn't really listening. He was too busy admiring the newest piece of his collection, just about as close as he could get. Although the 'without you' bit stung slightly, he pushed it away and settled for the hope that with every new item it brought him closer to her, this goddess on the page.

"Sasuke." He knew his warden was serious whenever he dropped that horrible affectionate suffix he like to torment him with. He looked up from the photo briefly to look at him, still keeping a tight grip on it.

"You've done well lately. I think you deserve a reward." Sasuke raised a brow. It wasn't like the snake man to give anything freely, and he wondered what the catch was. He leaned backwards as the man reached inside his jacket, not knowing what to expect.

His gaze was transfixed though, as soon as he spied the red fabric being pulled out. "You see, your dear cherry blossom happened to drop her scarf today as she rushed to get to her next appointment. I thought it fitting that you should hold onto it for her."

Sasuke's eyes followed the mans arm like a hawk, fingers shaking slightly. He held a hand out just as the snake did, and he marveled at the softness of the fabric as it dropped into his hand. He stared at it for a moment, almost amazed that he was touching something that had been up against her skin so soon ago.

The man smirked as he watched Sasuke transfixed on the object. "Be sure to get plenty of rest today, Sasuke-kun. Tonight we're going to a party."

With those words, he left Sasuke to his own devices, the smirk on his face growing.

To his credit, Sasuke waited until he was gone before bringing the scarf closer for his inspection. He took in every detail from the frayed edge signifying frequent use to the small threads of pink woven together with the red. It wasn't silk, but it was soft, and he imagined that her skin felt just as good.

It was always like this. He was tormented with pictures frequently. He kept those under the bed, all arranged according to what ones he thought flattered her best, although she looked wonderful in every one. He had even had an audio tape once, and the few words she spoke were ingrained into his mind forever. _"I love the ocean!"_ He had played it almost to the breaking point. It didn't last for long though, as the snake had taken it after a day. Once in a while he was given something like this scarf, although he had never gotten something so personal before. It held it against his cheek, awed at the softness again. It was as close as he'd ever gotten.

He was never allowed to see her.

It didn't matter though, he still knew this girl, this woman who was on his mind constantly, better than he knew the back of his own hand. He felt like he knew her, and he knew as much about her as he possibly could. He laid back, breathing in her scent, taking refuge in it. He wasn't always like this.

He sneered at the thought of the snake man.

He remembered the original reason why he had gone with Orochimaru. It was a long time ago now, he realized, back when he had been a lone child facing the death of his whole family. Nobody knew what had happened, and he would be forever haunted by the images of blood and bodies of his family strewn about the house. He shuddered and clenched his fist.

The appendage touched paper, and he opened his eyes to look at the photo again. It was nice, having the pink of her hair and the red of her scarf to erase away the pain and loneliness. She would understand him, he was sure, once she met him. She was the only one who could.

Orochimaru had information of what happened to his family, so in exchange for it, Sasuke agreed to help the snake man do whatever it was he wanted to do. He ran a business or something. Sasuke wasn't really sure, but at the time it didn't matter.

He dropped from school under the pretense of being taught from home. It didn't matter anyway. He was advanced at his age, coming from a once prestigious family, so he was way ahead of the others. He was just a pretty face. No one would miss him. Well, there was one that maybe would've, someone he could've almost called his best friend. Those days were long past though, and his blond rival had probably forgot all about him by now.

That had been many years ago. He was now nineteen and had other goals.

He wasn't sure how the change happened, but he had come here with the notion that something had been expected from him. He was a bit surprised when the snake man had handed him the first picture of her, the one that started everything. She had been captivating to him, and at that time, that was saying a lot.

He usually looked the other way, paying all women no mind. All they did was gawk at him anyway. This one however had fully captured his attention. There was something about her that interested him. It might've been the way she smiled, or maybe it was just the way she radiated happiness. It gave him hope that maybe he could have a happy ending too.

After that, everything had changed.

He couldn't get enough. He wanted, needed, to be closer to her, to know everything about her. Now, he felt he was closer in that goal. There was only one thing left, and everything would be perfect. He wasn't allowed to see her though. Orochimaru wouldn't allow it. He had asked. He was allowed out, but he couldn't be anywhere near her. To this day he had not seen her in real life.

For a moment, he was angry at the man from keeping him from her, for tormenting him with her constantly. Then he calmed. This was the same man that introduced him to his whole world after all, and he would get his time. He had drank in every once of information the snake man shared with him about her.

Through time and constant exposure, she was now his world. He drifted off to sleep seeing vibrant green eyes and a sweet smile. His everything.

His Sakura Haruno.

-

-

She sighed contently as she closed the front door to her apartment, free from the crowds at last.

She brightened at the sight of the place, knowing it was hers and only hers, and that she, Sakura Haruno, finally was able to escape her father's clutches enough to live alone. He had fought it tooth and nail for years, but at the age of nineteen, he had finally relented. She couldn't be more glad about it.

It was nice having her freedom, or at least as much as she was allowed. He had controlled enough of her life, and she was sick of it. She had already missed out on going to a public school. Since he ran one of the most successful businesses in the country, he deemed it unsafe for her to mingle with 'commoners' on a daily basis like that. He was also the reason why she wasn't in college yet.

She wanted more than anything to be normal, to be able to live her own life. She hated her sheltered life, how everything was taken care of for her before she could realize there was something that needed to be done. She knew the value of hard work, she was just denied the chance to ever do it. She wanted to go to college. She wanted to go into the health field so she could help people.

As long as she allowed her father to run her life though, she knew that would never happen.

She had brought the subject up once, and that was all it took for her to realize that it was a very bad idea to do so. He had almost exploded, telling her that she had no need to do anything other than what she was doing now, and she almost hated him for it. She was nothing but advertisement now, for his thriving business. She wanted no part of it.

That was why she wasn't going to tell him about her side studies. She had managed to collect as many books on medicine as she could, ranging from standard medical practices to psychology to drug rehabilitation. She wanted to know as much as she could. Some of them were actual textbooks from med school. Having connections paid off.

One day she would be able to break away completely, and then she could pursue what she wanted. As soon as she saw her window of opportunity, she was gone. For now though, she was stuck being shown off to her father's business acquaintances and attending his parties and benefits. One of them was tonight even. She groaned as she threw her keys on the table and undid her hair as she walked towards her bedroom.

She brightened a little as her phone rang, recognizing the number of her best friend Ino. At least she had the afternoon to spend with her friend before she slipped into the role of willing retainer. She flipped it open to answer and got into a discussion of what she would wear out to lunch. The stylish red summer dress she had would be perfect for the weather today, and the topic successfully took her mind off of her troubled situation.

Now, if she could only find where she put her favorite scarf…

-

-

Sasuke didn't like crowds. He didn't really like people in general, so at the moment he was wondering why Orochimaru had dragged him here to this hall. It was a benefit for something. He couldn't really remember what the snake had said. That wasn't important. He was just wasting time here, time he could be spending with his cherry blossom that calmed his nerves.

He gazed around with a bored expression, and he fought not to jump as he felt the snake man come up behind him. Whenever he was close his skin crawled.

Orochimaru had disappeared as soon as they got here, and Sasuke didn't care what the creepy man was up to. It was like whatever business he did during the day, he just didn't care. He hadn't even met any of his employees as he rarely ventured out of the space he was kept in.

"Sasuke-kun, you look bored."

"Hn."

Orochimaru smirked again that day, even though his younger charge couldn't see it. "You'd be in a better mood if you saw where I've brought you." He came up to put his hands on the other's shoulders, and Sasuke stiffened at the contact. He did _not_ like to be touched, and there was only one person he'd ever consider letting get away with it. Orochimaru was not that person.

Paying this no mind, the snake man leaned forward to talk in his ear, and it took all of Sasuke's control to not flinch away or turn and hit him. He had said to behave. He didn't get out very often, and he wanted to stay in his good graces as long as he could. It meant one step closer to seeing his angel.

Orochimaru chuckled in his ear, and Sasuke tried not to bristle. "Why don't you look over there by the balcony doors, hmm?"

Deciding to humor him, he swept his eyes through the crowd until he reached the said location. His breath stopped, and the amused sound coming from behind him let him know that the snake had anticipated this.

His eyes widened and his breathing turned uneven at the sight of the pink haired woman across the room. She was there. His blossom was there, and he was seeing her. He could _see_ her. All thoughts of Orochimaru and anyone else in the room disappeared as he gazed at her.

She was laughing, and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her emerald eyes glimmered, and her skin shone. If he looked close enough, the moonlight was streaming through the open doors, and he thought she glowed when she turned just so. She was even wearing his favorite color. The royal blue gown she wore swished at her feet, hugging her form.

He couldn't take his eyes off her.

Slowly, the room came back into focus as the snake laughed again. Sasuke tried to ignore him. All he needed to do was catch her eye and he was sure everything would fall into place. It would only take one look, and then she could understand. She would know that she was the one he had been waiting for for so, _so_ long.

He had dreamed up and played out their meeting so many times in his head. Each time was different, but each time was wonderful. His heart sped up at the thought that maybe he was finally getting his chance.

"I see you are pleased. Good." He didn't turn around to face the snake man as he spoke in his ear. His unnerving voice broke the fantasy he was in, and then he was not pleased. He didn't like what that tone was telling him. "Look at how popular your cherry blossom is. See how her suitors pursue her, how they hover at her elbow."

Sasuke's hands clenched tightly at the thought, the annoyances coming into a sharper focus than before. He spotted those that hung around her. The thought that they were so close to her made him angry. He belonged at her side, not some half-wit that didn't know her. Without his knowing his eyes narrowed and there was a low rumble from his throat.

"Now, Sasuke, we don't want trouble, do we?"

The older man's voice was carefree and light, and Sasuke was getting frustrated that he wasn't understanding the dilemma here. What if they wanted to get to know her? What if they saw her on a regular basis? If they were allowed to do so before he met her, before she understood….

He sighed.

"…No."

"Good." With that, he gave the younger man a slight push forward. "Then why don't you go say hello? Ask the pretty lady for a dance."

Sasuke looked back at the snake man in question, wondering if he was really serious. He just waved his hand, a brushing motion through the air, telling him to get moving before crossing his arms. This was new. At any rate, if this was the only chance he got for now, he wasn't going to pass it up. He would outshine all those others. Today would be the day.

Sasuke would finally meet the object of all his desires.

-

-

Sakura laughed as Ino finished telling her story to the small group that had formed around them. If there was one good thing about this night, it was that Ino was here. Since her family produced a prosperous clothing line, they had been invited. There were a lot of important people here, if she remembered what her father said.

Sometimes she envied what Ino had. They weren't as prosperous as her father, but at least their family was in it together. All of them loved what they did, and they made sure to include everyone. They had even accepted when Ino's older brother decided to go on to law school instead of stay in the family business. She sighed. If only she could be so lucky.

It didn't make her sour towards her friend though, and she was glad she was here tonight.

She hated when her father told her to mingle. She didn't like attention. It was too bad that's all she was showered in ever since she had been born. It hadn't actually gotten bad until her mother died when she was six. Then, she was everyone's favorite sad story, and her father had thrived off all the publicity. She couldn't wait for these days to be done.

The laughter died down as the crowd thinned a bit, and Sakura took the chance to chat with Ino now that they were alone. It was clear that Ino was much better at entertaining crowds, thriving in the spotlight, and she was content enough to stay in the background.

Ino understood her situation, so she was always eager to help out in situations like this. Sakura was grateful for that.

She stopped their conversation about whether or not that shade of green suited the mayor's daughter as Ino's eyes became wide, staring at something over her shoulder. She raised her brow.

"What is it?"

Ino continued to gape like a fish, and she was just about to ask again when she answered in a rush. "Ohmygod. _Sakura_." The blonde girl covered her mouth with a gloved hand, and Sakura was worried for a moment that she was going to go into shock.

"I'm not a mind reader, Ino. What?"

She almost squealed. "This _really_ cute guy is staring at you and coming this way!"

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully as she made to turn around. She could humor Ino this once, she supposed. She wasn't one for flirting, unlike Ino who was in her element during those times, but she didn't dislike being in men's company.

She just really wanted someone who knew her, who would just understand her. She was put on a pedestal enough. She wanted someone who was actually interested in _her_, not just her fortune and a pretty face.

Sometimes Ino tried to set her up on dates. Most of them didn't turn out well, and the rest were just interested in her money. Ino sounded really excited though, and this wasn't a set-up (that she knew of, her friend _was_ sneaky), so she figured it was worth a shot.

She turned around, fully intending to analyze the man coming towards her (some types had certain things in common of course), only to stop dead in her tracks as soon as she laid eyes on him.

She knew this was the one Ino saw immediately. Cute didn't even cover it, he was gorgeous. She didn't think she ever saw someone so perfect looking. Looks aside, she knew it was him from the way he never took his eyes off of her as he approached. She couldn't look away either.

Faintly, she heard Ino say something about catching up later, but she paid it little attention. For a moment there was only one person in the room, one beautiful man who didn't seem to have anything in common with the others she had seen. The way he was looking at her made her feel like _she_ was the only person in the room.

She had never looked into such beautiful eyes.

-

-

As soon as she met his eyes he almost stumbled.

He caught himself before he could misstep, but he couldn't help to think that she could see into his soul as she looked at him. He found himself unable to look away as he neared, like a moth to a shining pink flame with beautiful green embers.

Every step he took shook his nerves a bit, and he was amazed that after so many years he could actually be nervous about this. He knew that he had been born for this meeting, to finally see his other half. There wasn't any reason why he should be feeling this way. She would see, she would understand. She was perfect.

She offered a small smile as he stopped in front of her. It was genuine, he noticed, instead of the ones she was showing the others. He allowed himself a little pride in that. He returned it with a small one of his own, and it seemed to him that everything softened.

"Hi." She spoke first, and he was glad. He was never much for words. "I'm Sakura." She held out her hand, and instead of shaking it like he had seen many others, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. There was a light dusting of pink on her nose, and it thought it was fitting.

"Sasuke."

She smiled a little brighter, giggling lightly. It wasn't annoying, as he had come to find many other obnoxious women. "Well, Sasuke, it's nice to meet you."

He closed his eyes for an instant, letting the feeling sink in. The way she said his name made everything he had done up until this point completely worth it. Her voice was heavenly, and it only solidified his belief in her being perfect. He noticed she hadn't removed her hand from his yet either, and he was reluctant to ever let it go. He was wrong about the scarf, her skin was better.

"Would you like to dance?"

The words were foreign on his tongue, not used to speaking so much, even though he said very little. He said even less around Orochimaru. He shook those thoughts away though. There would be no thinking of that man, not when there were much more important things in reach.

He was elated as she agreed, and he let her lead him out onto the floor. She didn't drop his hand once.

A slower song started up, and they moved into position. He let his hand briefly touch the strands of her hair by her neck before trailing it down to rest on her lower back. It was just as silky as he pictured it. Her skin too, as her hand stayed clasped in his, was smooth to the touch. The material of her dress was thin, and it felt like his hand was on fire. His shoulder burned too, where she touched it, and he liked the flames. He couldn't get enough.

He was glad that his family had drilled etiquette and common actions at get-togethers into his head when he was young. It was finally coming in handy. The steps were nothing elaborate, but if he got to witness her floating across the floor with him, he'd endure as many lessons as it took.

He was in a time of glory as they danced and she smiled. Nothing existed but the two of them in this decorated hall filled with people. He kept locked with her eyes and saw nothing but joy and a reachable future that would chase away all his sorrows and insecurities. There would be laughter and smiles, and him standing next to her, and she would understand…

All too soon, the song ended, and before the next one could start up, Orochimaru entered his field of view, shattering the vision. He frowned slightly as the man gestured for them to leave, not wanting to leave her side now that he was here. The desire to stay was stronger than anything he felt, and he didn't notice that he squeezed her hand slightly.

This caused her to look up at him with questioning eyes, and they came to a stop as he sighed.

"I…have to go." He really, really didn't want to.

"Oh." Did she sound a little disappointed? It calmed him a bit knowing that she would miss him too. "Thank you for the dance." She smiled at him again, and Sasuke wondered if she ever ran out of them.

He let go of her hand reluctantly and held her eyes for another moment before turning around and walking towards the exit. How he longed for the day when he'd never have to leave her side, and there would be no snake men to interrupt them.

Her eyes followed him all the way out the door.

-

-

There was only one thing that could've made Sasuke happier at the moment, and that was to have his cherry blossom beside him. Last night had been perfect, and all throughout the day he had replayed the scene over and over in his mind until he knew every detail by heart.

He memorized the smell of her hair, the way her lips curved when she smiled. He could picture those eyes that were so full of life, and the way she said his name made a shudder run through him. They fit together flawlessly, and he found himself grinning at the thought. He hoped she felt the same. How could she not?

He was interrupted from his bliss by a knock sounding at the door. He scowled. What did that man want now?

Orochimaru entered with a strange look on his face, and Sasuke's hackles stood on end at the bad feeling he was getting. He didn't bother getting up as the man neared him, but his hand clenched into his blanket.

"I have some bad news, Sasuke." He glared. Shouldn't he know by now that he only cared about one thing? News of his family even took the back burner after all this time. The only thing he could possibly be concerned with was-

"It's Sakura."

Sasuke stilled, suddenly very interested in what the man had to say. What about Sakura? Was she hurt, did something happen? He sat up, planting his feet on the floor. If someone even dared-

"It seems that after you left the benefit last night, she took comfort in the arms of someone else. It's so sad, I thought she was different. She never asked you to stay, did she?"

Sasuke's breathing stopped as he took the information in. What did he mean? It couldn't be true, he was there, he _saw_. She _was_ different. They had made the connection hadn't they? When they both looked at each other like that?

"I know it's hard to believe, Sasuke, but here." His voice was quieter as he held something out, and Sasuke recognized it as a stack of photos. Carefully, he stood up to take them, feeling pieces of himself crack and break away.

His heart sank as he looked at the proof before his eyes. There she was, still as stunning as he remembered, but she was dancing with a bespectacled man with silver hair. He had never seen the man before in his life, but already he hated him. She was smiling, and he found it harder to look at the scene with each passing second.

He paged through the others quickly, no less than ten or fifteen of them. They were all similar, her near this man with the too nice look to him. The man's grin mocked him, and he had to look away. The pictures fluttered to the ground as he sunk back down onto the bed, his head in his hands.

"She went home with him. I'm so sorry, Sasuke."

He felt abandoned. For the second time in his life he watched the world fall down before his eyes without being able to do anything. He felt betrayed. How could she do this? He thought she understood him. He _knew_ her. He stared blankly at the floor, trying not to feel anything. Anything was better than the rage and disappointment he was feeling now.

The two warred with each other, red and blue crashing together to make a maelstrom in his mind.

"Do you remember the deal we made when you came here?" Sasuke nodded mutely. A favor for a favor. He remembered. "Good. I am calling in mine now." Sasuke looked up. He held out a small piece of paper, no bigger than a post-it note. "Go and release your sorrow. Avenge your broken heart upon the one that carelessly stamped on it."

Sasuke's heart sped up at the thought of being able to do something about it. He was hurting, and the one that hurt him didn't care. Something needed to be done. He was empty now. His life had been spent for nothing. He got back up in a flash, snatching the paper away from him. He read the street number and crumpled the evidence, the digits burned into his memory, already making his way out.

The rational side of him was saying to slow down, to take a minute and analyze this. The betrayed part sang louder, and it drowned out that small voice.

The snake grinned as sinister as his namesake, but Sasuke didn't see. He only saw red.

-

-

Sakura sighed as she trailed from the kitchen to sink against her couch, cup of tea in hand. Last night hadn't been so bad. In fact, she had rather enjoyed herself. She hadn't been able to think of it all day, having to run more places with her father for the afternoon, but now that she was relaxing in the walls of her own home she relived the experience.

Sasuke. That's what he said his name was.

She actually hadn't had much fun after the man had left. She had danced with a few more people, showing off her talent of fake smiles. She grew tired of that fast and after she decided that she had mingled enough, she was finding her father and making up some excuse to let her leave. She didn't remember what it was right now. Either way, he let her go. She had wanted to end the day on a good note, and while she danced with Sasuke it was wonderful.

That feeling didn't leave her all night, and she woke up this morning in a great mood. She didn't even complain about what her father made her do today, and that was saying something.

She had never seen anyone seem so happy just to be near her. He had radiated it, and it was contagious. There was something about him that drew her to him. It might've been his eyes. For a moment when she looked at them, it was almost as if they told two stories, like he was two different people. She wondered what that was about, but had pushed it aside in favor of just enjoying the time.

He had actually smiled at her. He was beautiful without trying, but when he smiled, he could put any actor to shame. It was too bad he had to leave so suddenly. She would've liked to get to know him a little more and maybe exchange phone numbers or something. She would've stayed longer if he had.

He hadn't said much, but that was okay. It seemed a part of who he was, and she didn't mind. She figured that she understood well enough anyway.

A sharp knock at the door sounded, and she placed her tea down on an end table as she got up to answer it. It wasn't really that late, but it was dark and she wasn't expecting company.

Looking through the peephole, she was surprised to see familiar raven hair and onyx eyes. Without really thinking about it, she unlocked the door and opened it, wondering what he was doing here.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" She spoke in a questioning tone, and she opened the door wider so he could enter. Too concentrated on who was there, she didn't see the gleaming metal in his right hand.

She turned around, taking a few steps towards the kitchen. "Can I get you anything? Maybe-" She cut herself off with a gasp as the door shut and she caught sight of the object in his hand.

Time seemed to still as she looked at him, her body slowly transitioning to panic. She stared at the blade for what seemed like ages before trailing her eyes up to his face. It was blank, empty, and she found it so different from the one full of emotion last night. His eyes though, couldn't hide whatever was going on. They looked troubled, and Sakura was about to reach out for him before she remembered what kind of position they were in.

He said nothing as he took one step forward, then another. She called out to him, and she watched him falter just slightly in the next step, as if it pained him. She didn't understand what was going on.

She backed up, trying not to make too sudden of movements. She didn't know how fast he was, and she didn't want to turn her back on him.

She wasn't stupid. He aura he radiated spoke nothing but death. He was here to kill her then? She didn't know why, but this wasn't the first time she had received a death threat. This was, however, the first time any threat had been carried out. Her breathing picked up and she tried to calm herself, knowing that panicking would not help her right now.

Her brain caught up with her in the next moment. Her phone was in the kitchen, on the counter. If she stood any chance at all, she probably needed to get help. How far away was the room-twenty, thirty feet? She had no idea.

She should be screaming or something, she thought. Then again, she didn't want to set him off by doing something unexpected. Still, she wasn't helping herself by staying quiet. She didn't know why she was. Maybe it was in his movements. It almost seemed like he didn't want to be here like this.

She knew it was foolish to think things like that, but she had studied psychology for a while. Everything in his posture indicated stress and tenseness, like he was unsure of what he was doing. The fumble too, when she called his name, was hinting at something.

"Why…Sakura?"

His voice seemed broken, but it didn't stop his forward progress. She backed up with twice as many steps.

"Why what? What do you mean?"

She sounded slightly scared, which she was, but she scolded herself for letting it show. She was playing with something very real here, going on something she only felt. If she could maybe keep him talking, then she might have enough time to do something. What exactly, she didn't know.

She cleared the kitchen door, and she spared a second to glance over her shoulder. Her phone was on the counter on the opposite wall. She had the whole space to cross yet, and Sasuke had just entered.

"You went with him. Why did you go with him? Why did you let him take you home?"

It almost sounded like he was pleading, and Sakura didn't know what to make of it. Her head was a jumble, and the fast tempo of her heartbeat was not making things easier.

"What man? What are you talking about? I didn't go home with anyone!" She wanted to bite her lip at her elevated tone. She was confused, and what he was saying didn't make any sense. She sounded a bit desperate, she thought, and she halted all thoughts as he looked at her. She wondered what he saw.

-

Sasuke didn't understand. He was angry and sad and confused all rolled into one. She was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to understand. He was already broken. How could she break him again?

His rage built up, and the red haze floated over his eyes. Strangely, the anger wasn't really being directed at her, but more towards himself. She was his. He understood her. She was supposed to understand him. How could he let something like this happen? He shouldn't have left, no matter what the snake man had told him.

He took another step forward and watched her take another one back. She was nearing the wall, and he spotted the phone on the counter.

He was angry at himself, but he didn't know what to do about it. Someone had to pay, and she was here. He wished he would have gotten the bespectacled man's place, but he could only work with what he had. He couldn't do anything else. It would tear him apart if he couldn't do something. Did Orochimaru know that? Is that why he gave him this address?

He stilled as part of the red fog lifted. A wheel began to turn in his head, and all of a sudden he had a headache. He glanced at her eyes, and his hand shook a little. Her eyes. How could those eyes hold anything but truth? What did that mean?

He looked to the floor and mumbled, not really understanding what was happening. "But…but, he said. You were…supposed to understand…I thought you understood…" He was struggling, like a drowning man, but there was no rock.

"Understand what!? I don't even know you!"

Her words stung a little, but he suddenly realized they were true. She didn't know him. There wasn't enough time. She had not spent days upon days memorizing his every feature like he had, dreamed up chance meetings or happily ever afters.

How could she understand if she didn't know? She sounded distressed and upset, and it tugged at his insides to know that he was causing it. All of a sudden, things were a lot clearer than they had been.

"But Orochimaru…he said…but why.."

He fell down to his knees, tossing the blade from his hand as if it burned, hearing it skid across the linoleum. It did, in a way. He braced a hand on the ground as the other clutched his head, seeing things he hadn't thought about in a long time, things her presence could chase away.

He saw his family before him once again, their blood stained into the carpet and up against the walls. He was in an empty house that whispered death from the moment he stepped onto the street. He was just a scared little boy again, all alone.

"Orochimaru?"

And he was doing it again. That man was trying to make him all alone again, trying to take away his only light. He didn't know why that man wanted this, but the true weight of what he had originally came here to do hit him full force.

He looked up at her face, and he was alarmed to see tears forming in her eyes. His head cleared a little more. Why would she shed her tears on him? Why would she…?

He suddenly felt undeserving to be within the same room as her, and he began to shake. He didn't want to hurt her. He couldn't. She was his cherry blossom, an angel, a goddess. She was perfect. She understood, and he didn't deserve it.

-

There was a haunting look in his eyes, and Sakura was shocked to see the unguarded pain resting there. It crashed over her like a wave, and she couldn't help the tears that gathered in her eyes. Everything made sense now.

"What did he do to you?"

Her voice was soft, and it was almost as broken as his. She knew what was happening now. He looked at her again as she spoke, and she had to bring her hand to her lips to stop the sob that wanted to tear from her throat as a tear ran down her cheek.

She thought the man Sasuke left with looked familiar, and as soon as he said that hated name, she knew. As she thought back, the bespectacled man she danced with seemed vaguely familiar too. What did he say his name was? Kabuto? He had to be one of the snakes underlings. She thought he was the one that always hung around him.

Her father and Orochimaru used to be business partners when she was young. She had never liked the creepy man, but she had been nice to him because her father told her to. A little after her mother died they had broke apart and formed their own companies, now rivals with each other.

Her father had fired Orochimaru once he found out about the secret projects he had been doing. His game was manipulation. He promised the world to others that had nothing left, and in exchange they became is weapons in whatever he needed them for. She had been appalled by how many lifeless people they had found.

Now it seems he was back to his old tricks, and she was the twist to get to her father. Not this time. She gazed at the broken man on the floor and felt her heart reach out to him.

He looked so vulnerable there on her kitchen floor, and she couldn't help herself coming nearer. She lowered to her knees slowly, watching him watch her. She embraced him, and she didn't try to stop the tears from rolling down her face.

She knew this was foolish. In fact, it might be the stupidest thing she had ever done. Still, she had always wanted to help people, and she couldn't deny this urge. Nothing had ever screamed so loud for her help, even if he didn't say anything.

He looked so lost and alone, and he was not going to feel that as long as she was here. She didn't care what his original intent had been. Anything he had been told by Orochimaru was to be treated like the poison it was. She felt a fierce determination rise up in her, and she embraced it. She didn't care if she didn't know this stranger, or what he had been here to do. This was more important. She saw those empty faces of all the others, and she made her decision.

She wouldn't allow the snake to hurt him anymore.

-

He was shaking, he knew. How could she stand to be near him after all of this? He didn't understand it, but he was having problems thinking when she was so close. He could smell her shampoo, and the way she held her arms around him made him feel safe. She was running a hand through his hair, and he calmed somewhat.

He turned his head into her shoulder, and his nose met her neck. He closed his eyes for a moment, and as she held him, everything seemed right in the world. He was completely at peace.

"I'm sorry," he heard her whisper. "What he must have done to you…" She trailed off, and Sasuke knew her words were true. She was just as understanding as he knew she'd be.

The real world came back, and he knew that someone his wonderful had to be kept safe and away from people like Orochimaru, people who were trying to hurt her, people like him. He felt a fierce desire to protect her, and in order to do that, she had to get away.

He pulled back from her warmth and instantly felt cold. She was resting her head on top of his, and he dared to bring a hand up to her face to turn it. He brushed at a stray tear with his thumb, and he wondered how he ever could've thought of hurting someone so wonderful.

"You have to get away. You have to run." He closed his eyes for a second and took in a breath before opening them again. Even if it hurt to say, he had to do it. "You have to get away from him. Away…from me."

His eyes widened as she shook her head. Didn't she understand how serious this was? He was trying to protect her. Orochimaru was dangerous. He was dangerous. He wasn't going to let anything hurt her.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she surprised him by placing a finger over his lips.

"Let me save you."

She looked so earnest, like she truly believed she could so what she said. He felt…cared for. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time. How long had he waited for something like this?

He felt himself nod slowly. There wasn't much else for him to do. How could he say no to the face she was making? He would just have to trust her.

They stared at each other in silence until the shrill ringing of a phone broke the quiet. It seemed to echo off of everything. He had forgotten about it. What was going to happen now?

He watched her get up and walk the few paces to the counter. Had they really been that close? She sighed as she glanced at the caller ID, seeming relieved at who it was. He heard the faint mumble of a female voice before Sakura cut them off.

"Listen, Ino? This is really important." She paused a minute to look at him, and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "I need you to do something for me."

-

-

A quick kiss to his cheek and a warm hand in his brought him out of his reverie.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He glanced at the figure attached to the hand and offered a small smile. Her voice was still as melodious as the night he first heard it on the tape.

"I am now."

She smiled brightly in response, and his world lit up. Sasuke didn't know what he did to deserve someone like Sakura (if you asked him, he did a whole lot of things that made him not deserve this), but he had stopped questioning it after she had yelled at him for doing so.

He had learned quickly that she wasn't all soft curves and pleasantries all the time. She could be quite scary when she was angry, and she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she wanted. The more he learned about her, the more he fell in love with her.

It was truer now than it had ever been before. After a few months of flying around, they had finally decided to settle into the coast of Italy on the Mediterranean.

It had been hectic at first. Sakura had asked Ino to book them a flight as soon as possible, and in the meantime, Sakura had emptied her bank account and dragged him along. They were worried about Orochimaru following them, so they had skipped around the world for a time, making it harder for him to find them.

Sakura had eventually called her father to let him know what happened (leaving out the bit about the kitchen, of course), and now the authorities had been involved to what was going on. Sasuke wasn't completely content with knowing the snake man could still possibly pull something, but now that some others knew what was going on, it was less likely.

He was also concerned that Orochimaru was going to tell the police that he had been intent on killing her. He had mulled over it for weeks until Sakura had forced it out of him. She told him that she would deny any of it ever happened. It amazed him that she was so forgiving. In return, he wanted to give her everything.

They were now just two people who were escaping their own forms of imprisonment.

He had learned her story about the tense relation with her father, and he was perfectly fine if she didn't want to go back and see him. He didn't think he would have very many nice things to say to the man that had kept her unhappy for so long. She was going to finally start medical school in the fall. Sasuke made sure of that.

Sakura laid her head on his shoulder as the sun started to set over the water, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. The beach was nice at this time of day, and there was no one here on their section. She sighed as she watched the water. He watched her instead.

The sun rays shone on her face and through her hair, and once again he called her beautiful. It was a little amazing how understanding she was. It was funny how some of the things he had assumed while in his obsession had been true. She was perfect. She did understand.

"I love you."

He spoke softly, like he always did. He might still not talk very much, but she didn't seem to mind. When he did say something, it was meaningful.

She smiled as she looked at him. "Well, that's never been the question has it?"

He frowned slightly at the implication, but let it disappear as he saw the grin on her face. She was just kidding, like always.

She loved him too. She had told him so, and she didn't fail to tell him again. Sparks went through him as he relived the feeling. It was wonderful, just like she was.

He smirked then, and her smile shrunk slightly as she gave him a questioning look. In one fluid motion she was swept up onto his shoulder, and in the next he was heading towards the water.

She gasped. "Don't you dare!" She laughed next, and he couldn't imagine a life without her as he laughed along.

He may not know exactly when everything in his life shifted, but he definitely knew how. It was the woman who became his world.

His Sakura Haruno.

-Fin

* * *

This is my attempt to gather inspiration and motivation. I didn't mean for it to get so long, but I wasn't going to let go of the spark once I had it. There is no 'weird' genre. This would go there, if there was. This wasn't the first fic that I wanted to come out with in this fandom either, but like I said before, when the muse hits, it's a bit hard to ignore them. Besides, expanding fandoms is a good thing.

Sasuke is a little strang in this fic, but that's because he was made to be that way by Orochimaru. He's probably a little out of character, but I'm satisfied with out it turned out. I had fun with Obsessed!Sasuke.

If you liked the fic, comments are highly appreciated :) Thanks for reading.


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